Listen

He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Think

I won’t lie: The Lord’s Prayer is hard for me to say. It’s beautiful, and it’s the model Jesus taught. Even still, the Lord’s Prayer is hard for me to say.

It’s the forgiveness part. “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” We have forgiven those who owe us debts?! That means we practice forgiveness before coming to God in prayer. I don’t know about you, but some folks seem impossible to forgive. I can think of one person in particular who sends chills up my spine. What about you?

But in the end — though it is difficult — I say the words of our Lord. And more importantly, I try my hardest to live them. Jesus knows what he’s doing here, friends. When hate lingers in the rear-view mirror, God’s love is hidden in the blind spot. We miss out on the fullness of God. So even though it’s difficult, say the Lord’s Prayer. Say it and mean it. Forgive and be forgiven.